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Hello to all. My name is Dug and I am an Eagle scout and assistant scoutmaster of my troop in NJ. My troop is vastly different then most i have encountered, and from the responses ive recieved on other scouting message boards, very controversal and even threatening, but i see this as a chance to discuss, debate and learn.

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Your thread title and intro paragraph were interesting, and a bit confrontational -- particularly since all you did was offer "very controversal and even threatening" without telling us anything about yourself, or your "vastly different" Unit -- Dramatic, even aggressive, but not particularly cooperative.

Hopefully, you're here to share, and learn, and teach -- not just to confront and conflict. There's gobs of knowledge and experience here, but also passions and opinions the size of Mt. Rushmore. Bring all your ideas, we welcome the content to discuss, but sometimes successful discusssion and debate requires minimizing your ego and maximizing your skin thickness!!

I wish you well and look forward to hearing about your interesting unit.

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Dont worry John. Its mainly because of the reaction some other scoutmasters have had on other boards because of our program. i find it amazing as well as amusing how threatened some feel by us, and how quicky they can turn a discussion and debate into mudslinging and attacks.

Not everyone sees eye to eye, no troop is right for everyone, but i enjoy interesting conversation and deliberation in effort to understand, learn and teach as well as just have fun.

So about us. We have been around since 1937, in suburb NJ and have produced 79 eagle scouts. There are 4 other local troops in our area, each having a differnt program, focus and goal. Our program is a very challanging one with an emphisis on leadership and self reliance and the vehicle through which we achieve that is challanging backpacking and wilderness trips. We incorporate a high adventure trip every 2-3 years, going to Philmont as well as hiking the AT in Maine up to Baxter State park. We are going to Philmont this summer for the 6th time.

We are not by the book. We go with what has worked for 68 years and with what works. This seems to bother a LOT of scoutmasters but i feel it creates for an interesting dialogue at the least.

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I don't imagine too many people around here see me as a by the book person, but the book works for a lot of Units. If you've moved away from what has worked for most units for 95 years, I assume it was based on lots of thought.

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Come on in and sit by the fire and warm your cold backsides. You sound like you have ridden many moons in the land of great darkness. Here, smoke our pipe of peace. Drink a large cup of our mud and join in on the conversation. We can always use another with such an obviously large sense of humor. We are also happy to know that you hail from a great troop with a long Scouting tradition. Don't hesitate to fill us in on the details.

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Welcome to the forum, Dug. We've all butted heads with a guy who doesnt post here anymoreat one time or another. From reading your posts, it sounds like you have a strong Patrol-oriented program. We're a young troop, still developing the patrol method. So I'll look forward to reading your posts. (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

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So. you have scouts handle boards of review up to and including first class. Why no say so instead of the big intrigue thing. Sounds like you know what you should be doing, you just don't and then want to argue why you are better. Why argue ? You arent likely to change and those who do it by the book arent likely either, whats your reason? Most here already know plenty of programs that think their way is better.

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Dug, youre my kind of man. My troops the same way; focusing on leadership and high adventure, real camping before we hit the books. Boys run it all boards all the way through and its been that way for 35 years, ever since our current Scoutmaster took the position. The council office doesnt exactly approve, but what the heck, it works, and we produce quality young men.

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Sturgen, thats totally awesome. Its wonderful to meet guys from other troops that have similar ideas and systems. I dont think our system and program is the only way. The way i feel, and the way my fellow adult leaders from my troop past and present feel, is that Boy Scouts is one of the best things in the world and each troop is different and adds its own to the growth of young men. That said Im glad to see that we are not alone.